From: root@mauve.demon.co.uk   
      
   alexwilliamrussell@yahoo.com wrote:   
   > question: what orbit maxes sunlight w/ ship that faces same way, i.e.,   
   > due to rotating axis pointing at sun - - - am trying to have large   
   > glassed area always facing sun while in LEO, to avoid any even small   
   > changes in sunlight due to not being sun-facing except for when in   
   > earth's shadow.   
      
      
   > 1  how do current craft keep panels to sun, yet keep antennas pointing   
   > to earth?  do they bother to every minute adjust panels or just pick a   
   > good layout and then shut off motors?   
      
   Computers and other automation have been able to do this for some time -   
   it's constantly adjusted.   
      
   > 2  could circular panels spun up and gyro-locked to sun-direction   
   > (which I suppose shifts 1/365 of 380 degrees each day?) max sunlight,   
   > maybe carrying power to station via a special de-coupled wire (rather   
   > than beaming power losses?)   
      
   Pointing is really not a problem.   
   'gyro locked' is only very fractionally easier than pointing at mars,   
   or the real-time position of Madonna, downloaded from news services.   
      
   As an example.   
   One design might be a cylinder, rotating with its axis pointing at right   
   angles to the sun.   
   At the end-cap is a 5m window, through which a collector pointed at the   
   sun and rotating to keep it in sight shines the light.   
   This is a bit tricky - it requires care to keep the glass clean, but is   
   quite doable.   
   Then you take the light that comes in this window (in a 20 degree beam)   
   and reflect it so that it gives you desired day/night times.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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